Protected pile.



I PATENTED MAY 3, 1904. G. W. KENNON.

PROTECTED PILE.

ION FILED AUG. 1, 1903 No. 758,841. I PATENTED MAY 3, 1904. G. W. KENNON.

PROTECTED PILE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1903.

No MODEL. 2 snxms-snzn'r 2.

n4: mnms FLYKRS co. woroummwnmwwm a c UNITED STATES CHARLES WV. KENNON,

Patented May 3, 1904.

OF TAMPA, FLORIDA.

PROTECTED P|LE SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,841, dated May 3, 1904.

Application filed August 1, 1903.

To a, whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES WV. KnNNoN, of Tampa, Hillsboro county, Florida, have invented certain Improvements in Protected Piles and the Manner of Rendering Them Impervious to the Teredo and other Insects, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of the same, in which Figure 1 represents a log supported in position to be treated with its bark removed and its exterior surface smoothly finished to receive my protective covering, which renders it indestructible when employed as a pile. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the same, showing also a series of staples driven therein to form a rest or support for a certain open-work fabric to keep it away from contact with the log, and thereby provide a continuous space for the entrance of an insect-repellent composition around and directly upon the log. Fig. 3 is also a section, but of a portion only, of said log with a wirenetting resting upon the staples referred to in Fig. 2, the netting being held securely in this position by a series of smaller staples which are driven so far into the wood as to resist the tendency of the concussion incident to the driving of the pile to displace them. Fig. 4: is a section of a portion of the log with the netting supported by the larger staples and held securely in place thereon by the smaller staples, with the addition of an impervious indestructible repellent composition surrounding and located directly upon the log and entirely filling the space between it and the netting held by the staples. Fig. 5 represents all the parts shown in Fig. 4L, together with a coating of the repellent composition applied to the outside of and covering the netting to prevent the abrasion of the parts, which would otherwise occur in driving the pile and would in time wear and destroy or displace them, this figure also showing a thin coating of gum-paint or gum-paint and sand applied outside this last coating of repellent composition to render the latter to some extent elastic and prevent it from cracking or flaking. Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-section.

Serial No. 167,887. (No model.)

Fig. 7 represents the two opposite ends of the pile with a metal shield applied to its tapering bottom to facilitate its entrance and prevent injury thereto when driven into a hard soil and with a metal band at its top to reduce to a minimum the degree of shattering by the pile-driving hammer. Fig. 8 represents a sheet of wire-netting. Fig. 9 shows a full-size staple which I employ for supporting the said netting at a distance removed from contact with the log; Fig. 10, a full-size but smaller staple employed in securely locking said netting in its removed position away from the log; Fig. 11, one form of support for an end of the log when in a position to be treated and located about three feet from the ground. Fig. 12 represents one form of table or bench on which the repellent composition is placed while hot, the edge of said table or bench being situated contiguous to the log for convenience in applying the composition thereto and to the netting.

My present invention relates to that wellknown class designated protected piles, and has reference to the parts which render the pile impervious to the ravages of the teredo and other insect borers and prevents the weakening and destruction of the pile, which inevitably occur with those not provided with an impervious repellent covering; and this invention consists, in combination with a log having its bark removed and its exterior smoothly finished, of a woven or open-work fabric of metal or suitable textile material such as wire-netting, fish-cord netting, perforated gauze, expanded metal, &C.2L series of staples driven into the wood and forming a rest or support for the same, but holding it at a distance removed from the log, a repellent indestructible composition located in the space thus formed around the log, a series of smaller staples driven into the wood through and from the outside of the said netting or other said open-work fabric for securely looking it in its predetermined position, and a coating of said repellent composition upon the outside of the netting, &c., which elements thus applied endow the pile with the ability to resist the entrance of the borer and prevent abrasion in driving, which otherwise would wear and destroy the parts, while at the same time they defy the displacement or ejectment of the staples and repellent composition by the concussion of the pilehammer, this invention having especial reference to the manner of applying and order of manipulating the parts and treatment of the log which render it impervious and indestructible, to be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly set forth in the claims.

In the said drawings, A represents a log out from yellow pine or other tree of the wood desired and of sufficient length to form a pile for the requirements of the locality where it is to be driven. For instance, where the depth of water from the bottom to high-water mark is fifteen feet it may be well to use a pile about forty feet in length. Then fifteen feet should enter the bottom and ten feet would remain above the water to build the wharf, bridge, or other structure thereon.

B, Figs. 1 and 11, is one form of support for suspending the pile-log about three feet from the ground for convenience of the workman who applies the parts to consitute my protective covering. This support is formed of three logs to b a driven side by side a short way into the ground, the middle one, Z), being shorter than the outside ones, a c, for one of the endsof the pile-log to rest on while it is being slowly turned by cant-hooks during the operation of treating the same.

As the essential features of my present invention are not only the parts required in forming my protective covering, but also in the manner and order of applying and manipulating them in relation to the pile-log, I will now particularly describe the same: First, after the removal of the bark and smoothly finishing the log I drive a series of staples (Z therein, Fig. 2, about two inches wide and one and one-half inches long, in rows around the pile, say four to five inches apart between the staples, entirely around the log, so that the prongs will enter the log about one inch, and these staples (Z are arranged in longitudinal rows about one foot apart. This operation will leave the outside of the staples removed about one-half inch from the exterior surface of the log, with a space it entirely around that portion of the log tobe protected. Next the wirenetting, fish-cord netting, or expanded metal Z is located upon these staples (Z, which form a support therefor, the ends of the netting, &c., beinglapped over each other. NextI securely hold the netting in this position by a series of smaller staples 6, about one-half inch wide and two and one-half inches long, each being driven about two inches into the pile. (See Fig. 3.) Next a concrete or repellent composition k, of equal parts of asphaltum-gum, pitch, and coaltar thoroughly incorporated in a vat preferably provided with a coil for steam-heat, is heated thereby and then mixed with hot sand on a table or bench to the consistency of mortar m, an ordinary trowel being employed and the table or bench being conveniently located beside and slightly above the level of the top of the log. (See Fig. 12.) This hot concrete m is raked off the table onto the netting and through it upon the log A and is pressed compactly into thespace it between the exterior of the log and the inner side of the netting Z. Next I cover the outside of said netting with a thickness of one-fourth inch of thehot composition is and roll it evenly thereon with a hot roller and before it gets cold apply a thin coating 0 of gum-paint or a mixture of gum with hot sand, which latter coating is intended to keep the composition k on the outside of the netting elastic and prevent it from flaking or being jarred off by the concussions of the pile-hammer. (See Figs. 5 and 6.) Then the tapering bottom of the pile-log is protected by a metal shoe D to prevent injury or abrasion of the repellent composition in case the pile should strike a rock while being driven. The top is provided with a strong metal band G about four and one-half inches wide, Fig. 7.

Any other suitable support for the logs while being treated than that shown in Figs. 1 and 11 may be employed.

It is desirable in protecting piles according to the method described herein that the coating of plastic material should be applied directly to the surface of the pile and that there should not be channels formed within the coating along which water may percolate should it become broken at any point. As a pile is always more or less irregular in configuration, it has heretofore been a matter of difficulty to support a netting or open-work fabric around the same at a practical uniform distance from all parts of its surface. By using staples as the supports for the fabric, resting the same upon the cross members thereof, I am enabled to support the fabric at a practically uniform distance from the surface of the pile, even though it be very irregular, and at the same time I prevent the possibility of channels being formed within the coating, as is sometimes the case where continuous strips parallel with the axis of the pile have been employed for supporting the fabric.

I claim 1. In combination with a log having its bark removed and its surface smoothly finished, a protective covering therefor, consisting of a repellent composition, a netting or other openwork fabric thereon and surrounding the same, a repellent composition directly upon the outside of said open-workfabric, and a thin coating of elastic gum-paint upon the outer repellent composition, substantially as described.

2. The method and order of assembling and applying the parts constituting a protective armor for pile-logs having their bark removed and their exterior surface smoothly finished which consists, first in driving a series of staples (Z about one half an inch into the wood IIO and located about five inches apart circumferentially in rows situated about one foot longitudinally apart to form a space h entirely around the log, second in locating a Wire or cord netting or open work metal fabric l directly upon the outside of said staples (Z next securely holding this open-Work fabric in this position by a series of smaller staples driven thereon and into the Wood about tWo inches, thirdly compactly filling the space around the log With a repellent composition of equal parts of asphaltum-gum, pitch and coal-tar mixed With hot sand to the consistency of mortar, fourthly applying a coating of the same to the nesses.

CHARLES NV. KENNON. \Vitnesses:

SAML. BORCHARDT, DONALD (J. MCMULLEN. 

